Episode #34
Episode 34: Byford Dolphin Incident
The Byford Dolphin incident was a catastrophic 1983 saturation-diving accident caused by a sudden loss of pressure during a diving-bell transfer. On November 5, 1983, four divers were inside a pressurized chamber system aboard the Byford Dolphin in the North Sea. During the process of separating a diving bell from the chamber, the system suddenly decompressed from nine atmospheres to one. CC and Kitty explain how saturation diving works, reconstruct the required transfer sequence, and examine the safeguards the system lacked. The official inquiry attributed the accident to human error, although the available forensic account says it remained unclear whether the clamp was opened independently or on an instruction. The episode also examines the wider pioneer-diving era, the health and safety information available to divers, the European Court of Human Rights ruling, and Norway’s later compensation measures. Content warning: This episode contains detailed descriptions of fatal injuries and autopsy findings. Subscribe for weekly disaster investigations. SOURCES: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3381801/ https://dn720006.ca.archive.org/0/items/byford-dolphin/Byford%20Dolphin_text.pdf https://gcaptain.com/scene-horrific-1983-diving-tragedy/ https://navalmarinearchive.com/sbh/highvalueships/offshoresemisubmersibles.html https://web.archive.org/web/20110607125608/http://www.rigzone.com/data/rig_detail.asp?rig_id=102 https://books.google.com/books?id=lPp68NAoUF0C&pg=PA168#v=onepage&q&f=false https://www.iflscience.com/byford-dolphin-accident-how-living-under-intense-pressure-led-to-one-of-the-most-gruesome-accidents-in-history-59230 https://diversinstitute.edu/exploring-saturation-diving-international-diver-jadon-anderson/ https://commercialdiversinternational.edu/post/deep-dive-what-is-saturation-diving-and-why-is-it-critical/ https://www.idcislamujeres.com/post/understanding-pressure-in-physics-idc-dive-theory https://nodecotravel.com/diving-depth-decompression-sickness-bends-safety/ https://www.health.harvard.edu/a_to_z/decompression-sickness-a-to-z https://www.smp-ltd.com/blog/post/the-history-of-diving-bells-2 https://blog.padi.com/diving-bell/ https://www1.grc.nasa.gov/beginners-guide-to-aeronautics/boyles-law/ https://lescompagnonsdusaga.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/northseadivers.pdf https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng#{%22itemid%22:[%22001-138597%22 ]} https://www.regjeringen.no/no/dokumenter/nou-2003-5/id381525/?ch=16 https://dailysciencejournal.com/byford-dolphin-incident/ https://www.regjeringen.no/en/topics/labour/the-working-environment-and-safety/innsikt/the-pioneers-divers/id510905/ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7314283.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7214938.stm https://www.norskpetroleum.no/en/framework/norways-petroleum-history/ https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-events/byford-dolphin-accident.htm
